Efforts build to fight Romanian immigrant’s deportation

BOARDMAN — The attorney for a Romanian immigrant believes multiple mistakes by the family’s past legal counsel contributed to the man’s facing imminent deportation.

Virgil Ciprian “Chip” Gilea, 30, a Boardman High School and Youngstown State University graduate, was arrested Dec. 27, 2007, by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although charged with no crime, Chip, who immigrated from Romania at 15, is accused of staying in the U.S. longer than he was permitted.

The office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said that the senator plans to write a letter to immigration officials asking that Chip’s case be given full consideration.

A letter from Cleveland lawyer Abraham Kay, who now represents the Gilea family, to the senator’s office lists multiple errors committed in Chip’s case by the attorney who used to represent the family.

“Immigration has the discretion to reopen the case,” Kay said. “If they’re not going to use it for him, who are they going to use it for? He’s a good kid. He’s a U.S. college graduate and he’s highly educated. He’s not charged with a crime and he’s always paid his taxes.”

Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com